Better Days
by rightxhere
Summary: [SamCam] Finally he was living what he prayed wasn’t a dream, and now he was wishing it was. Hints of Daniel & Vala. [second and FINAL installment added 23 May 07]
1. 1 of 2

******Title: **Better Days 1/2  
******Author:** Demelza  
******Fandom:** Stargate SG1  
**Pairings:** Sam/Cam, hints of Daniel/Vala  
******Disclaimer:** Stargate SG1 and its characters belong to Brad Wright, MGM and all their other respective owners. No infringements of these copyrights are intended, and are used here without permission purely as a means of entertainment. Any and all original characters are the author's creation, and may be freely used elsewhere.  
******Spoilers:** Line in the Sand (S10E12)  
******Rating: **O15  
******Warnings: **A little language, mild sexual references  
******Word Count:** 3,243  
******Summary:** Finally he was living what he prayed wasn't a dream, and now he was wishing it was.

The lights were out, and a thirty-two inch LCD television sat on a trolley near the far wall. Strangely enough, Daniel's king sized bed was big enough to support the four of them. Teal'c would have joined them, but at the last minute he had somehow managed to procure a date and ditched them.

Bowls that had housed popcorn and chips, and several empty bottles of beer, lay closer to the end of the bed, and, still hungry, Sam reached for one of the half empty bags of crisps. As she did so her foot knocked against two of the bottles, causing them to meet with a distinct 'clang'. She quietly apologized, but her apology was met with Cam's soft touch as he lightly touched her back.

The television and the surround sound speakers rumbled as the movie went from one action scene to the next, and Sam bit down on her lip, looked over her shoulder at him. He lay there with his head resting against a couple of fat, fluffy pillows, and a shimmering promise in his eyes. He traced lazy circles—_electrifying lazy circles_—against the small of her back, and it made her smile. As she carefully lay back down, he moved his arm so that it wound around her, and he was holding her.

The room lit up with sudden brightness as a loud explosion reverberated throughout the concrete-walled room, and Sam sighed, rolling onto her side that bit more and resting her forehead against Cam's. The thought at how risky this was entered her mind, knowing full well at any given moment Daniel or Vala could break away from the hug they had snuggled into at the beginning of the movie, and come to see what she and Cam had discovered some weeks ago now.

They more than respected each other as officers and colleagues; there was also an unspoken attraction that had sizzled between them since she had returned from Area 51. They had always had this chemistry thing going on, but it wasn't until Sam was wounded off-world that she was brought to the realization she needed more in her life than just _science and failed relationships'_.

"This movie's boring," Cam said, the bed moving a little when Vala did. He smiled, carefully moving his other hand to Sam's face. Her eyes drifted shut at his touch, and his voice dropped to a whisper, "And you're..."

She sighed contently, waiting for him to respond. Not getting an answer, she opened her eyes just as he lightly bit down on his lower lip. _This...was risky. _"I'm...what?" she asked, softly.

"...distracting me from it..." he answered, tenderly tracing her jaw line.

"I thought it was boring?"

"Only because there's something else I'd rather be doing..."

She smiled, felt her breathing slow when his fingers moved from her jaw to her ear, before slowly descending to her collarbone. Uh huh..." she murmured, gaze faltering from his, to his lips, "I'm sure there is."

"You better stop that..." Cam whispered, his breath visibly catching, "...cause if you don't..."

"If I don't...you'll what?" she asked, his fingers slowly sliding down the front of her t-shirt. It was her turn for her breath to catch, and when his hand tenderly cupped her breast she let out a soft moan. Oh...damn..." she breathed, her toes curling as she fought the groan she felt building in her chest at his continued gentle caresses

"This..." he paused, biting his lip again when she closed her eyes in an attempt to stifle yet another moan he had caused her. "...is what you do to me..._every...day..."_

Her breathing grew a little erratic, she placed her hand against his chest, and was about to start her own search, when there was an all mighty sigh from Daniel.

"Well that was a waste of...God, how long _was_ that movie?"

Cam closed his eyes, his and Sam's hands falling between them onto the bed. He let out his own exasperated sigh, _but for a completely different reason_. "Two and a bit hours, Jackson," he said aloud, trying to be heard over the end credits' music. His eyes opened to Sam's then, and he caught the promising smile on her lips. "Best parts of the whole damn thing were the special effects," he declared, his tone in much of a 'matter of fact' manner.

Her hand resting atop his, Sam mimicked the lazy circles he had traced on her back not so long ago. "You meant the part at the start, right?"

"With the storm?" he asked her, and she nodded. "Oh yeah," he agreed, "That was something else."

"You have to admit though," she said, pausing to wet her lower lip. "We have seen thunder storms far mo..."

"Yap yap yap," Vala droned, cutting Sam off. "Can't you two just appreciate how scary it was, and leave it at that?"

Sam and Cam looked at each other, and Cam slowly shook his head.

Finally, Daniel – who was lying a few inches behind Sam – spoke. "After all the things you've seen," he paused, arms tightening just slightly around Vala. "You're trying to tell us you were scared by the b-grade acting in a special effects heap of crap like War of the Worlds?"

Staring at him for a moment, Vala exhaled heavily in annoyance. "_Yes_. And don't you give me that look, Daniel. I don't appreciate it."

Cam rolled his eyes with a small sigh. "Now it's over, I guess it's time to hit the hay."

"Yup," Daniel agreed, his eyes fixed on Vala. "We've all got an early start."

The tone in his voice was an indication it was time to leave, for other _obvious _reasons, and Cam sat up first, his hand interweaving with Sam's for those few seconds she lay there, gazing up at him. Reluctantly, he let go and her hand fell free from his. "Night Jackson. Vala."

He was moving to the foot end, and Sam got up behind him. "You need a hand clearing up?" she asked, looking across at Daniel and Vala both.

"No, we'll get to it," Daniel answered nonchalantly, his hand moving down Vala's thigh, while both hers went about their own search of his chest.

She smiled to herself, turned and followed after Cam. He opened the door just wide enough to let her out, and when they were both outside Daniel's quarters – the door now closed behind them – she was about to step away, but he took hold of her arm to stop her.

"Cameron?"

He slowly stepped up to her, his hand falling down to meet hers. "Samantha," he murmured, his eyes searching hers.

"This..." she breathed, "...is risky."

"I'm..._aware,_ of the risk. But it's after two in the morning. And no one..." he paused, closing the gap between them, "_No one_, is up."

"Cam..." Sam quietly protested, but he lifted his hands, and tenderly cupped her cheeks.

He gave her a small, reassuring smile, when his gaze dropped to her lips for a moment, before meeting her gaze once again. He waited for the look, the one that told him she was okay with him kissing her. Her eyes lingered on his for a long, almost painful moment, when they dropped to his lips and that was his cue. He leaned in slowly, gently caressing her cheek as he lowered his mouth to hers.

She pushed him back just a little, caught her breath and shook her head at him, but not before sinking into his arms and allowing his lips to brush against hers again. Her mouth slowly parted, to meet his, but Cam's eyes shot open and he quickly realized he wasn't standing in the base corridor outside Daniel's quarters. He was in fact sitting on a log on some awful planet in an eerily dark forest.

Heart racing frantic, his eyes adjusted to the fire in front of him. "Son of a bitch," he cursed, only in that moment mindful of the fact Sam, Daniel, Vala and Teal'c were all sound asleep.

The dream he'd just had fresh in his mind, his gaze wandered to his left, where Sam had gone to sleep, except she was no longer sleeping like he had thought she was. She was rising into sitting position, and staring across at him. "Sorry," he said, catching her concerned expression.

"You fall asleep again?" she asked, a touch of humor to her tone.

He chuckled. "Yeah. _Again._" He knew the look she gave him next, the one that said she was worried about him. No nightmare," he murmured, "Least not this time."

"Good," she smiled.

Moments passed, and she clambered up from her sleeping bag and, gathering it up with her, she moved over to him. She sat down on the log beside him, and he watched as she skillfully unzipped the camouflage bag.

"You know, you don't have to do that," Cam said, his voice low, _tender_.

Sam cast a warm, caring smile sidelong at him. "Can't have you catching your death," she explained, before wrapping the blanket around both their shoulders. They sat almost a foot apart, and she sighed. I think it'll work better if we sit closer," she suggested, showing him her end of the sleeping bag.

Cam looked out at Daniel and Vala. They were in separate bags, and several feet apart from one another, and the reality of just how much a _dream_ his dream had been settled in the pit of his stomach.

"Yeah," he found himself murmuring after a long, quiet minute.

"But if you don't think it's a good idea..."

"No, I do," he said, looking back at her. She flashed him a smile, shimmied closer to him.

"How's that?" she asked, holding the bag closed around them both.

"Good," he murmured, his eyes drifting shut as he took in her perfume. Even when they were out only God knew where, and on a very much alien planet, she still smelt that heavenly scent he'd fallen in love with long ago. And that was the painful truth. He was in love with not only her perfume, _but her also_. It's why the dreams he had pained him so much. It's why sitting so close to her made his heart race as fast as it was.

Her voice drifted into his mind then, breaking him from his angst ridden thoughts.

"...why Cameron, anyone would think you'd never shared a sleeping bag with a girl before..."

He faked a brief chuckle, opened his eyes and stared at the fire again. "Funny," he replied.

She nudged him with her shoulder. "What's going on?"

"Just...dreams," he said, letting out a soft sigh.

"I thought you said they weren't bad ones?"

The fire sparked, causing flames to shoot up high, and his mind drifted back to that moment when he'd leaned in to kiss her in his dream. He could still feel the warmth of her breath against his lips, and he sighed, trying to get his mind away from those thoughts.

"They're...not," he carefully replied.

She placed one of her hands over his arm, _squeezed it gently_. "They weren't great ones either, I take it?"

He smiled, albeit painfully. "No they were good. Fantastic, even," he added, sighing pensively, before looking away from her. "But they're just dreams."

"Nothing to over think about?"

"Exactly." He cast a look at her, laughed gently when he saw the still very much concerned expression on her face. "You worryin' about me, Carter?"

Her gaze stayed fixed on his for the longest minute, when she finally shook her head with a strange little laugh. "Heck no," she protested, removing her hand from his arm and looking out at the fire like he had done mere moments ago.

"Come on...you are..." Cam nudged her in the shoulder with his, getting a gentle laugh from her. "And hey...you wanna know a secret?"

Sam looked at him, a little perplexed. "Someone _actually_ told you a secret?"

He feigned offence. "I happen to be one of the best secret keepers around," he said in that proud, showoff tone.

"Considering you're about to _tell _me a secret, you are _so not_," she laughed loudly, quickly covering her mouth, though, when there was a loud rumbling groan from Teal'c as he stirred.

"Oh if you wake the big guy up, you're in trouble," Cam warned, grinning stupidly.

"What?" she gasped, keeping her voice low, "_You _woke me, you know."

"Yeah, well...maybe you were already stirring?"

She smirked, _sarcastically_. I hardly think so."

"Mmm," he murmured, looking out at the fire again just as Sam leaned her head against his shoulder, and lightly held onto his arm.

"So, this secret...?" she began after a quiet minute, her voice barely above a whisper. "...is it about...me?"

He quietly cleared his throat, fought every urge to close his eyes and just sink into the feeling of her resting against him. "Mmhmm."

"...and...you...?"

His breath caught then, and it took a long moment before he could breathe again.

"Yeah."

She sat leaning against him quietly, when she lifted her head from his shoulder. The move caused him to look sideways at her, and it was only in those split few seconds he realized why she had moved. She leaned forward fast—as if wanting to do what she was about to before every conscious thought stopped her—and pressed her mouth to his. He was caught off guard, and when their lips momentarily parted he turned to face her better. His hands cupping her face, he returned her kiss with one of his own, _a deeper one._

Her hands were at his chest in seconds, and he groaned, wishing he could feel the full warmth of her hands through his jacket.

It was as if she was reading his mind. Barely thirty seconds had passed, and she pulled the zipper of his jacket down, and slid her warm hands inside, against his chest. Her touch was more than he could handle, and another groan escaped his throat.

Her hands were roaming his chest, when he lowered both his hands and began fumbling with the zip of her jacket. It wasn't coming down, and Sam broke the kiss to chuckle.

"Come on, that's not funny," he said, pressing his forehead against hers.

"It is a little," she mused, kissing him once, and again, before holding back long enough to unzip her jacket for him. "There," she whispered, draping both of her arms around his neck. She leaned in to kiss him again, but he pressed a finger to her lip, stopping her. "What?" she asked.

Cam looked out at the others, saw they were all still sound asleep – there was even a faint snore coming from Vala. He looked back at Sam, smiled. "Just makin' sure the kids haven't heard us," he grinned.

"Well," she began, moving herself a little closer to him so their chests were less than an inch apart, _their lips too_, and they could each feel the heat coming from the other. "I'm not sure just exactly where you think th...this uh..." His gazed dropped to her mouth as she spoke, and she stammered to finish.

"Where this is going?" he asked, his gaze still on her wet, and slightly swollen lips.

"Mmm..."

"Well," he said, wetting his own lips, and shifting his gaze back to hers. "I've got about a dozen ideas..."

"Really now?" She smiled, and gently shook her head at him.

"Yup," he smiled back. "And they all start...a little...something...like..." He kissed her once, as she had kissed him before, and then again, "..._this_..."

"It's a...a good start..." she mumbled, between kisses.

Their mouths met, and, smiling, he kissed her harder.

"This...is..." she whispered, trying to catch her breath between kissing him, when he pulled back to stare at her. "...what?" she asked, worried.

"Don't you say it, for the love of..._everything_...don't...say it..."

She smiled, amused at this unexpected, and very much panicked, change in him. _She liked this side of him. _"Risky?" she half mocked.

"Aww, Sam, you had to jinx it..."

Her smile turned into a grin, and she brushed her fingers up from the back of his neck, to the top of his head, and making a mess out of his hair. "Jinx...what?" she purred, lightly caressing the back of his head.

He moaned, his eyes drifting shut. "This...moment," he muttered, when her lips met his and she playfully bit his lower lip. "Sammy..." he whispered, laughing gently. He smiled wide, kissing her back, but it wasn't quite the same now. _She_ wasn't quite the same. Troubled, he opened his eyes and when he saw the unreadable look on her face his heart began to sink. "I said something stupid, didn't I?"

"No. You didn't," she whispered, smiling so softly as she searched his eyes.

"Then what?"

"Sammy," she quietly said, a soft smile curling her lips. My dad was the only one I ever let call me that."

Cam swallowed, feeling bad. "Sorry, I uh...didn't think..."

Taking in a breath, Sam drew herself closer to him. Please, don't be sorry...I liked it when you called me that."

He smiled a small smile, was about to lean in and press a tender kiss to her lips, when there was a sharp, pin-prick like pain in his lower back. He winced aloud from the sting, pushed the bag off himself and Sam. "Son of a bitch," he yelped, rubbing at the burning sore spot.

"Cam, what is it...?" came Sam's panicked voice. He was twisting, rubbing at that sore spot still, when she removed the penlight flashlight from one of her top jacket pockets. She pushed his jacket off his shoulder, pulled his t-shirt up and shone the flashlight where he'd been rubbing. "Oh my..."

"What, what the hell is it?" he asked, staring at her, and trying hard to sit still. She opened her lips to speak, but wasn't saying anything, and he twisted so he could look down at his lower back. "Oh, fuck!"

"It's...it's okay, we've got a med kit..." Sam breathed, lifting her gaze to Cam's.

"What the hell is going on?" Daniel's tired voice sounded, from the other side of the fire.

"I got bitten by some kinda..."

"Spider," Sam said, loudly.

Cam looked down, and just behind him he saw the dead spider she referred to. It was mostly black, with red stripes on its legs, and he realized he must have killed it when he'd rubbed the bite area those seconds ago. It must have also fallen out when Sam had lifted his t-shirt to look at the bite.

He exhaled. "_Red_...that ain't good...right?"

"I..." Sam wanted to say he was going to be okay, but where the area where he was bitten had already begun to swell, and there were dark lines forming out from it. "I don't think it is," she breathed, slowly shaking her head.

He smiled, huffing, a pleading look on his face and in his bloodshot eyes. "Guess it explains the burning and the...the tingling...huh?"

Unshed tears forming in her eyes, she nodded.

Neither of them had noticed Daniel, and now Vala and Teal'c were up out of their sleeping bags and had moved over to them. They were each staring at Cam in grave concern.

It was just great though, _Cam thought_. Finally he was living what he prayed wasn't a dream, and now he was wishing it _was_.


	2. 2 of 2

******Title: **Better Days 2/2  
******Author:** Demelza  
******Fandom:** Stargate SG1  
**Pairings:** Sam/Cam, hints of Daniel/Vala  
******Disclaimer:** Stargate SG1 and its characters belong to Brad Wright, MGM and all their other respective owners. No infringements of these copyrights are intended, and are used here without permission purely as a means of entertainment. Any and all original characters are the author's creation, and may be freely used elsewhere.  
******Spoilers:** None, though it's set in later season 10  
******Rating: **O15  
******Warnings: **A little language, mild sexual references  
******Word Count:** 3,089  
******Summary:** Finally he was living what he prayed wasn't a dream, and now he was wishing it was.  
**Author's Note:** Many kudos go out to _BoscoRox_ for putting up with all my questions about America, Southern Slang, and everything else I asked her about! Thanks also to everyone who has left a review! This part's for you all :)  
**Author's Note 2:** I've gone through this numerous times (beta reading), but I'm only human so if there are any errors, you doth know why. Also, if anyone is interested in knowing...I'm working on a sequel that'll pack a mighty big angsty punch, so keep an eye out for 'Excido'.

\/

"Well this is...this is just, _fantastic_," Cam said, voice dripping with sarcasm. Turning, his gaze swept across the concerned look of his teammates. "Swear to God, this _always _happens."

Sam arched her eyebrows a little, as if wondering to what he referred. When, thought of that _incredible _kissing session from those minutes ago came to mind and her breath caught in a fluster.

Teal'c raised an eyebrow at Daniel and Vala, who stood at his left and both wore worried expressions, before turning his attention back to Cam. "Did you once again forget to Tivo repeats of 'Phil of the Future', Colonel Mitchell?"

All eyes were on Cam, though it was only Vala who laughed.

Cam, unimpressed, groaned aloud, while Sam fought to keep back her own chuckle at the Jaffa's fear-alleviating question. "Funny, _real funny_. You should be on Letterman, Teal'c."

Hands clasped behind his back, Teal'c inclined his head with a small, amused smirk.

"Really?" Vala said aloud then, and Cam looked at her, wide-eyed and annoyed, and the words 'if looks could kill' rushed through Sam's mind. "I rather thought Muscles would be more suited to The Daily Show," Vala continued, arms folding across her chest as she glanced at Daniel first, then Sam, and finally Cam.

Attempting to diffuse the deathly silence, and what it would likely lead to, Sam cleared her throat. She could remember the last time Vala spoke out of turn, and how Cam and Daniel had used a voice-silencing device on her which the SGC had obtained from another planet some months prior. As amusing as the three hours the device had lasted for was, she could also vividly recollect the bullwhipping the team – Vala included – had gotten from a _very _unimpressed General Landry.

In the General's words, their actions that day had been 'the most immature, childish and delinquent behavior' he had ever seen.

The thought of him going a deep shade of red in anger made her smile, when she blinked the thoughts away. "Vala," she said.

"Samantha," the other woman responded, eyebrows rising as if to let her know she wouldn't stand for any unkind words if they were to be uttered.

Sam offered a fractured smile as a peace offering. "There's a med kit in my pack. Inside you'll find a needleless injector with some antihistamine in it, get that for me, please?"

"On it," she said, racing over to Sam's belongings.

Daniel rolled his eyes in irritation, but it was only a fragment of the annoyance Sam could see in Cam's eyes.

"_Meanwhile,_" Cam muttered, catching her attention. He twisted again, attempting to look at the sting on his back. "It looks like it's gone down some, doesn't it?" He looked at Sam, but she held an expression that told him it was all wishful thinking on his part. _On both their parts_.

Suddenly, Vala yelled, "Is it the red one?"

"Green!" Daniel yelled back, getting a thankful nod from Sam. He smiled warmly at her.

She gave him a small smile in return, before glancing back at Cam. She could already tell he was starting to get feverish, and she touched his forehead with the back of her hand to see just how feverish he'd gotten.

Staring ahead, but looking sidelong at Sam, a grin tugged at the corner of Cam's mouth. "Are you as hot for me as I am for you?" he asked, his voice low enough for her ears only.

Flustered, Sam quickly lowered her hand, ignoring him. "You're burning up, but the antihistamine has a strong painkiller in it, it should help."

And, as if suddenly on cue, Vala returned with the injector.

"Thank you," Sam said, taking it from her. She popped the cap off the end, looked at Cam. "You ready?"

"If I say no, will you swear on oath you won't inject me with that crap?"

"Would you prefer to die a horribly painful death?" she quipped.

With an exhale, he narrowed his eyes at her, grumbling, "You have no bedside manners, Carter."

Sam cast him a serious look. "Up and at 'em," she said, rising to her feet and waiting for him to do the same.

Shooting a disparaging glare at Vala first, Cam groaned and grumbled as he rose to his feet. Only, his movement wasn't as fluid as he'd have hoped. His legs were stiff and his back stung as if he'd been stabbed. Incidentally, he knew what that feeling was like. It wasn't fun, and he hated it. More than that, he hated feeling crippled.

Turning, and keeping a brave face for her, he stared at Sam. "Okay. now what?"

Almost embarrassed, she cleared her throat. "Lose the pants."

He tried a teasing, enticing smile, _only she wasn't buying it_.

"Fine," he moaned, unbuckling his belt and pushing his pants down. They fell to just below his knees, when Sam motioned for him to turn away from her.

Sighing, and grumbling obscenities in assorted alien languages – all of which Sam knew he'd more than likely hounded Daniel for – Cam turned slowly. Doing so, he caught the smirk Daniel wore, and the out-rightly delighted smile Vala had on her face.

As for Teal'c, well he couldn't read his expression, but Cam knew for damn sure he was going to make them all pay for this.

He huffed internally. Knowing the jokesters as well as he did, they probably set this all up deliberately.

Pushing Cam's t-shirt up as he inched his briefs down a little, Sam couldn't help the smile that formed. "This'll sting a bit," she said, trying desperately not to snigger as she pressed the injector against his bare skin.

Grimacing, Cam heard the hiss of the injector, and winced when he felt the sting shoot into his right butt check. "Son of a monkey's uncle!" he yelled, standing tall as he moved away from Sam and promptly pulled his briefs and pants up.

Vala didn't hold back, she laughed hysterically, while Sam bit her lower lip trying desperately not to do the same.

The look on Cam's face showed he wanted someone to die, _and painfully, _and that's when Daniel pulled Vala away by the front of her jacket and led her round to the other side of the fire.

Teal'c, smiling amusedly, followed shortly after them.

"Sorry, Cam," Sam said, and he glanced sideways at her, disbelievingly.

"You enjoyed that," he said, serious. Facing her, she was the one to glare at him then, pretending to be hurt at the insinuation. Matching her glare with one of his own, he let out a breath. "So, how long before this magic juice starts to...whoa..." His arms flared out at his sides, and he stumbled one step sideways, toward Sam.

"About now," she said, dropping the injector to the log and moving to his side. She put an arm around his back as he clutched his head. "Here, you need to lie down."

"Trust me, I'm not fixin' to argue with you, if that's what you're worried about," he rambled, taking a short step toward his sleeping bag, but his legs felt heavy and were uncooperative. "Remind me to send a letter to the Celirian's, thanking them for making that stuff."

A smile formed, and she held him a little tighter, steadying him as he walked. "Sure, why not. It's only saving your life," she said, a little sarcastically.

Cam expelled a brief laugh, when they reached his bag and Sam helped him ease down onto it. Dropping to her knees just behind him, she placed her hand on his shoulder. "How are you feeling?"

"Fit as a fiddle," he winced, lifting his torso from the bag and pulling a short stick out from underneath him. Perplexed by its presence, he dropped onto the bag yet again, pushing the stick away and letting go of it.

She forced a small smile, "And your back?"

"I have a back?" he asked, muffled as he spoke into his sleeping bag.

_At least it's starting to work, _she thought, worriedly.

Groaning again, Cam rolled onto his side so he was facing the fire. "I'm not saying the stuff's no good..." he mumbled, "...but what the hell is in that shit?"

Lowering her voice, she asked, "You _really_ want me to tell you?"

Hearing the humor in her voice, he cracked a smile, but didn't answer.

Moving so she was sitting a little more comfortably, Sam silently watched as he breathed. There were two things she was glad for at this moment. The first was the Celirian's and their policy on exchanging medical technologies with Earth, and the second was the knowledge that the antihistamine was the strongest one that existed.

Relief washing through her, she looked across the fire at Teal'c, where he stood in place of Cam as point guard for the remainder of the night. And then there was Vala and Daniel. Though there was some distance between their bags, she could see from the way they glanced in one another's direction that there was _something _there. A strong friendship. _Maybe something more._

She wasn't sure what.

The two had soon settled, and with a soft sigh Sam's gaze moved to Cam. Lightly caressing his shoulder, she murmured, "Go to sleep, Cam," promising, "You'll feel better in the morning."

She had just moved her hand, about to retrieve her own bag and settle in for the rest of the night, when she heard, "Please, Sam...don't go."

Her eyes shifted to Vala and Daniel. Vala was facing the fire, eyes shut, while Daniel had since turned over and lay with his back to them all.

She exhaled softly, nodding. "I'll sit a while."

Her gaze dropped to Cam again, and when she gently laid her hand atop his shoulder he moaned faintly, setting a small smile on her lips.

After a while of just sitting there, listening to his breathing and the fire as it cracked, Sam began drifting back to the events of the last half hour. From Cam being bitten, and the initial shock that had made her heart race with fear, and then further back, to the events just before then...when his lips were on hers, and her hands were feeling, _searching _every inch of his chest.

The warmth of the fire, and all her thoughts combined, made her eyes begin to grow heavy and she found herself lying down behind him. Inching slowly, her hand slipped from his shoulder to the crook of his elbow, before gently sliding down his arm, to his hand.

Exhaling softly, sleep threatening to take over at any moment, Cam moved his arm so it lay atop hers and Sam smiled as he held her hand in his. Her eyes drifting shut, her every breath slowly began to match his.

\/

"Vala, shut up."

"You're jealous because I know more about the topic than you do, Daniel, and it's _your_ planet."

"People are sleeping, would you be quiet?"

"I'm barely making a noise. If you ask me, you're just bitter because you haven't gotten any in a while."

"Oh would you...!"

"_'Oh would I' _what?"

"Shut up. Would you _shut _up?"

"Fine. I will. But don't you talk to me either. I've had quite enough of the way you talk to me, I really have."

"Vala, shut up."

"See, there you go again, just as I was saying."

Out of the constant burble, there was a loud, distempered growl, causing silence to promptly follow it and it made the half awake part of Cam stir. Eyelids fluttering, his eyes slowly opened to an early dawn sky and the tops of very much alien-looking trees. He exhaled sharply, his mind trying to adjust to the fact he was somehow laying flat on his back.

Frowning in confusion and wondering how the hell he'd gotten there, his mind drifted back to the night before. Fading images of lying face-to-face with Sam seeped in. They were lying on the bed in Daniel's quarters with him and Vala, the movie War of the Worlds blaring in the background, when he blinked and the images vanished quickly as new ones filled his mind.

Sam sat in front of him, smiling, when mere seconds passed and he could feel every breath-taking moment as they shared one kiss after another. There were words uttered, but they surfaced for only moments before fading into the back of his mind at the point of impact where, by some inexplicable twist of fate gone crazy, he was bitten by the spider and his eyes shot wide open.

His breathing deep, Cam closed his eyes and shook his head, but that's when he felt movement at his right. Momentary panic settling in, he looked, expecting _something, _and was surprised to see Sam lying there, her head on his chest, and his arm around her.

Smiling, he lay his head back down and prayed a silent 'thank you' to God. He searched his mind for the how and why they got to his sleeping bag, but the last thing he could recall was Sam giving him an antihistamine injection and the lethargy and deadweight feeling in his legs that had followed.

There was a noise out to the left, across the other side of the dying fire, and Cam turned his head, watching as Daniel and Vala hit one another with their rolled up sleeping bags.

A smile forming, he turned his gaze back to Sam, felt guilty at the thought of having to wake her. She looked so peaceful, though he had to wonder if her mind raced with things like subatomic particles while she slept.

Pushing the thought aside, he held her a little tighter, brushed some of her hair back with his free hand. "Wakey wakey, Princess..." he murmured, feeling her body stiffen against his as she began to rouse.

Another smile, and this time he lightly ran the tip of his index finger down the bridge of her nose. The move made her stir and she scratched at her nose. He chuckled, and did it again, only this time she was quick moving and grabbed hold of his hand, twisting his finger to stop him.

It made him wince and she lifted herself up just enough to look at him, and he smiled one of his most charming smiles. It worked, and she let her grip on his finger go.

"Morning," he said, his voice low but hoarse.

Sam wore an uncomfortable smile, and quickly buried her face in his chest for a few seconds, before lifting her head and looking down at him again. "Morning," she echoed, her forehead creasing in that way she did when she was deep in thought. "I...slept here?"

Cam lifted his head too, looked at how they were lying together. Though there was another sleeping bag covering them, he could feel her leg over his, and her arm was still draped across his stomach.

He lay his head back down. "I think it's a pretty safe bet," he answered, gazing into her eyes. He never realized just how blue they were up close.

She dropped back to where she'd been when he'd woken her, and when he heard a muffled, 'shit' he laughed.

There was a strange noise, like footsteps, above their heads, and Sam and Cam both looked up to see Teal'c standing there, a most amused smile on his lips.

"Good morning, Colonels," he greeted them both. "Breakfast is cooking. It will be ready shortly."

Hands behind his back in his usual Teal'c-like-way, they watched as he walked away, before looking at one another again.

Their eyes lingered on one another's for a moment, when Cam's gaze dropped to Sam's lips, and her gaze dropped to his. Of course, that's when Daniel and Vala's bickering broke in again and Cam was hit with the realization this wasn't just some crazy camping trip on an alien planet with a group of his closest and dearest,_ they were professionals, _members of a top secret organization that worked to save the known galaxy from alien species who were hell bent on destroying Earth _and them_.

"You're behaving like a child, Daniel! All I wanted was a little sip of your coffee!"

Sam's head dropped to Cam's chest again, and they sighed in unison. "I'll talk to Vala," Sam whispered, lifting her head and staring at Cam, "Talk to Daniel?"

He nodded. She went to move, when he held her tight for a moment. "Cam..."

"There's something you've got to know, Sam."

Her breath caught in her throat and she smiled. "I already know," she murmured.

He returned her smile, lifted his hand to her face and gently caressed her cheek. "Thank you. For...everything."

Searching his eyes, she answered, "You're welcome."

As she got up from beside him, Cam was unable to help the smile that stretched wide across his face. When they'd first arrived on this God-forsaken planet, things hadn't looked like they would improve in the slightest bit. They were on the hunt for some kind of device that was meant to help them defeat the Ori – without much luck, he pointed out – but things were at least starting to look up.

"No, I will not calm down! He wouldn't let me have one little tiny sip of his precious coffee, and I think I'm quite in my right to think he's a pig-headed, selfish _little _man! And oh yes, Daniel Jackson, I mean LITTLE in every sense of the word!"

Of course it helped that he wasn't _really _surrounded by professionals. _It helped a great deal, _and the thought made him grin in gladness of that fact. That, and the knowledge of the events that had taken place here.

Rising to his feet, he felt a strange niggling in his back, but it didn't feel anywhere as bad as the lingering sting that was still present in his right buttock.

Eyes sweeping across to the team, he watched as Teal'c made everyone's breakfast on a portable gas burner. Not far away from him, Vala and Daniel were standing less than a few feet apart, still bickering over some thing or another – and then there was Sam, standing a short distance away, a defeated expression on her face.

Her gaze met his, and they both smiled. This, he thought, was one of those better days. The type that was totally crazy and all sorts of screwed up, and absolutely perfect in all the little ways that _really_ mattered.

\ Fin /


End file.
